The invention relates to a method for regulating the pressure of a fluid that is moved through a system of pipes having at least one consumer. The fluid is moved by a pressure generator driven by an electric motor.
The "fluid" within the meaning of the invention can include, for example, water, steam or gas. The method is used, for example, in locations where increased fluid pressure is required to supply many consumers, such as is the case with multi-storied buildings or hotels where a sufficient pressure is necessary at each water extraction point. The same is also true for large heating plants or gas supply facilities. Accordingly, the "pressure generator" can be a pump or a compressor. As an example of the possible applications, the method is described in the following for a pump-operated water supply.
The maximum pressure necessary for supplying all extraction points connected as consumers to a pipe system for the water supply, for example, can be determined with the aid of a calculation. Even though this maximum pressure is only needed if all consumers want to have water, facilities of this type are consistently operated with a constant maximum pressure, involving a high expenditure of energy for operating the pump units, as well as increased wear on the pumps and valves. Furthermore, maintaining a continuous high pressure will stress the pipes, so that pipe breaks occur relatively frequently. Finally, disturbing flow noises often occur.
It is the object of the invention to improve the above-described method in such a way that the stress on the pipe system with associated units can be reduced.